I was struck with this question the other day; "How will you get to the cross this Easter?" For some of us, it's an event that we plan for: what to eat, what gifts to buy, what will be stuffed in the eggs for the egg hunt, who will be coming and staying, and is the house clean. For some of us it's a reason to go to church either out of celebration or obligation.  For some of us its just another Sunday. For some of us it's a journey. 

I was reminded recently of some things I had written a couple of years ago about Lent. When I was a kid in Sunday school our teachers would always make a big deal about what we would be giving up.  My friends and I would always rally and give up something for 40 days: chocolate, candy, soda, popcorn (that one was brutal for me).  We would encourage and tease one another as the 40 days stretched on.  I didn’t really capture the significance of what I was doing though.  It was a challenge and not one that I was leaning on God to help me through. 

As a young adult I became a youth leader, and I spent a significant amount of time putting together Lenten trivia.  I learned a lot.  One thing that really stuck with me though was something that I read: you shouldn’t just give something up, you should pick something up that draws you closer to God.  I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t take this advice then.  There was always an excuse – you know, the busyness of life - I gave something up, wasn't that enough? I was still missing the point. 

A couple of years ago I wrote a post about giving up TV shows for Lent after feeling convicted by an array of questions that kept coming up in my Bible Studies: “what is keeping you from God?” “what is distracting you from God?” “what are you relying on instead of God?” – at first I was putting “myself” and I wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t really getting to the root of the problem and as I started to be more honest with my answers I noticed that I was writing TV a lot.  I used to love my TV shows.  If you would have asked me about a TV show back then, I was probably either actively watching it, planning on watching it, or had watched it.  TV shows were my personal escape from my reality.  When I was:

• Stressed – I turned on the TV

• Worried – I turned on the TV

• Overwhelmed – I turned on the TV

• Afraid – I turned on the TV

• Bored – I turned on the TV

• Needed background noise – I turned on the TV. 

I could go on, but I think you get the point.  I’m ashamed to admit, but I have an app to track the shows that I’m watching and the shows that I would like to watch.  It lets me know when I’m behind on a show, when a show is coming up, heck it even gives me recommendations on what I should watch next.  

I had a problem, and it was keeping me from my relationship with God.  So, that year for Lent I broke up with my TV shows. 

I didn’t want to stop there though.  I wanted to take that advice I preached to my kids in Youth group, give up something, but fill it with God.  I started a Bible reading plan which is something I still diligently follow every year. It also reignited my love of reading, but more than that reading about my Heavenly Father. I want to know Him. I still hungrily pursue Him in any book I can get my hands on. That lenten experience put my feet on a path of a journey I am still on. 

“Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.” -Mark 1:12-13

Our wilderness is often a result of our own making or of things that make us uncomfortable.  Being absent of a comfort for 40 days sounds miserable. Why would we choose to step into that wilderness intentionally? 

Jesus did. 

Jesus chose to step into the wilderness and face Satan's temptations.

Jesus chose to minister to the world and face mankind's ridicule, persecution, and ungratefulness. 

Jesus chose the cross and faced torture and death.... 

Jesus did. Why can't we?

Choose something hard to give up this Lenten season. Choose something that will cause you to lean in to God, to seek Jesus. Fill that time with a Bible study, a reading plan, prayer, praise music, journaling, or listening to sermons or Christian podcasts. Seek God in the absence. Afterall, that's what Jesus did. When He was tempted, He turned to the Word of the Father. When He was weary or overwhelmed He turned to the Father in prayer. 

Perhaps I say all of this to ask, what if this Easter can be an experience?

How will you get to the cross this Easter?